In the hydrocarbon recovery industry any loss of efficiency can be costly to a well operator. For example, a washout of a drill string or a formation while drilling can allow pumped mud to flow at rates other than the flow rates at which an operator believes they are flowing. Additionally, a washout can cause mud to flow to locations other than where the operator desires it to flow. Such conditions can cause issues during drilling due to a lack of mud flowing through the bit, for example. Methods and systems for detecting washouts as soon as they occur are therefore valuable to well operators.